Casing elevator



March 12, 1935.

' E. E. GREVE CASING ELEVATOR Original Filed Sept. 7, 1929 v 2 Sheets-Shet 1 March 12, 1935. E, GREVE; 1,993,739

CASING ELEVATOR:

Original Filed Sept. 7, 1929 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 12, 1935 UNITED STATES 1,999,199 7 p CASING ELEVATOR Edgar E. Greve, Bellevue, Pa.,j assignor, by mesne assignments, to Oil Well Supply Company, Dallas, T'ex., a corporation of New Jersey Original application September 7, 1929, Serial No.

390,891. Divided and; this application ber 11, 1930, Serial No. 494,907.

Novcm-,.

This application is a division of my eo-pending application, Serial No. 390,891, filed September 7, 1929'. v

The present invention relates to locking means for holding a pair' of swinging members in closed position, and more especially to locking means for use on a casing elevator.

One object of my invention is to provide improved locking means for holding a pair of swinging members in closed position, the locking means being so arranged that the latter automatically adjusts itself to the closing movement or movements of the swinging members. A further object of my invention is to provide locking means for swinging members, the locking means being so arranged that automatic locking takes place no matter which of the swinging members is the first to close. i

In the accompanying drawings in which for purposes of illustration and not as limiting my invention, I have illustrated two embodiments which the same may assume,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a casing elevator embodying my invention applied to a section of drill casing or pipe;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken through the latch;

Fig. 5' isa top plan view of the doors of th elevator, showing one door closed and another door engaging the latch cam;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a modified form of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, 2 designates the U- shaped body of the elevator, provided with diametrically opposed trunnions -3 for mounting a bail 4 to support the elevator in the usual manner.

The open front of the body is adapted to be closed by means of doors or gates 5 and 5a, pivotally secured to the bodybyhinge bolts or pins 6, said doors and body being provided with interfitting hinge portions 7'. Doors 5 and 5a are also provided with interlocking portions 8 at their meeting edges to provide a'firm and efficient closure. Handles 9 project outwardly from the doors for the manipulation thereof.

One of the important features of my invention resides in newand improved looking or latching means for firmly securing the doors together. Midway of their joining edges, the doors 5 and 5a are provided with projecting lugs 10 and 10a respectively, adapted to be engaged by a latch device including a member 11 having an opening 12 therethroughto reeeive the lugs. The latch device is further provided at its top with a forwardly extending grip or handle 13 and an integral angularlydisposed and inclined cam A projecting from-a side thereof. A hollow cylindrical portion 14 depends from the latch proper, having a bore 15 adapted to receive a hollow cylindrical member 16'. Member 16 is provided with an integral hub portion 17 having an opening 18 therethrough for receiving a transverse pin 19, the latter being rotatably mounted in spaced-apart bosses or ears 20 disposed at the lower portion of the door 5. Hub 1'? is fixedly secured to the pin 19 by means of a key 21.

Y The portion-14 of the latch is designed to have a reciprocal motion'on the member 16. To this end, a'latch spring 22 is positioned in the member 16 between ananchor pin 23, extending through the top of said member and an anchor pin 24, the latter extending through slots 25 formed in the lower portion of member 16 and projecting at each side thereof into the wall of the portion it. By means-of the parts just described, the latch device is retained on the door 5 andisdesigned to move in a vertical direction substantially parallel to the vertical axis of the elevator. It will be noted that the spring 22 functions to draw element 11 always towards the lugs 10 and. 10a.

Pin 19 is provided with a head 19a at oneend thereof and its other end extends beyond the boss or ear 20 and is slotted, as at 26, to receive one end of a coil spring 2'7, the other end' of said spring extending downwardly against the outer surface of the door 5, as at 28. The action of the spring 2'7 is such that the-latch device 11 is urged against the outer surface of the door 5, as shown; said spring, however, permitting movement of the latch structure away from the doors and about the axis of the pin 19.

It will be noted that the lug 10a is formed with a recessed portion a at its top, for receiving the upper wall of the opening 12 of latch member 11 for retention thereof.

In positioning the elevator around the drill casing or pipe C, the doorsare opened to permit the entrance of said'casing to the cavity of the body 2. To close the doors 5 and 5a., the operator grasps the handles 9 and swings both doors inwardly toward the body. Cam A will engage lug 10a of the door 5% as the doors come together, and due to its downwardly inclined face I), said cam will lift the latch member 11 upwardly and outwardly with respect to the door 5, to which it is attached. When the latch opening 12 engages the lug 10a, the spring 2'7 will force the latch against the outer surface of the doors, and spring 22 with its cooperating pins and retainers will draw the latch downwardly in a direction substantially parallel to the vertical axis of the elevator, by means of the latch portion 14, until the upper wall of the latch opening 12 engages the recess a.

In the event that the door a is closed first, the upper wall of the latch opening 12 is tapered rearwardly and upwardly for engaging the outer edge of the lug a to lift the latch upwardly, whence it is moved inwardly by the spring 27 and downwardly into the recess a of saidlug by means of spring 22, as described.

Should the door 5 be closed first, moving the door 5a. inwardly will first engage the edge ofthe said door with the cam face 5 then lug 10a will engage the cam to effect a movement of the latch as hereinbefore described. This condition is particularly shown in Fig. 5.

To open the doors, the operator grasps the grip l3 and lifts upwardly and then outwardly, to disengage the latch fromthe recess a of the lug 16a and permit the doors 5 and 5a to be swung open.

It will be noted that when the elevator is secured on the casing in closed position, the lugs 10 and 10a. are within the opening 12 of the latch member 11. When a load is put on the elevator, the forces caused thereby which tend to open the elevator doors will be distributed and ab sorbed by the latch proper, which is member 11. No strain will be placed upon any of the members which serve to automatically operate the latch; in particular, the telescoping cylindrical members 14 and 16 and the transverse pin 19. It is noteworthy that the pivotal mounting of the pin 19 permits the locking means to be antomatically moved or swung inwardly relatively to the body radially of the longitudinal axis thereof and substantially parallel to the said axis.

To insure eiiicient operation of my elevator, I have provided the doors 5 and 5a with limiting lugs or projections 29, adapted to cooperate with similar lugs -or projections 30 on the body 2, said lugs 29 and 30 being positioned adjacent the hinge pins 6. The function of these lugs is to provide a limiting means whereby the movement of the doors inwardly may be arrested, to insure alinement of the doors and their respective latch parts.

An additional feature of my invention consists of means for providing a reversible elevator; that is to say, an elevator which has two load-supporting surfaces for engaging the couplings of the drill casing sections. As shown in the drawings, the body and doors have an upper load-supporting surface 31 and a similar lower surface 32. In the upright positions shown, the upper surface 31 is used for supporting the casing. For retaining the elevator in this position, I provide retaining members 33, each of said members having one end secured to the trunnion 3 by means of a bolt 34, and a right angle portion 35 projecting into an opening 36 in the body 2.

When it is desired to employ the lower surface 32, the bolts 34 may be loosened, and the portions 35 disengaged from openings 36. The entire elevator may then be turned through 180 degrees on the axis of its trunnions, and portions 35 entered into openings 36a of the body. Bolts 34 are then tightened and the elevator is ready for use in its inverted position.

In the form of Fig. 6, I have shown my latch applied to a single-door elevator. The cam A is not necessary to this construction, and is omitted. The lug 10a is secured to the body 2a, and the lug 10 is formed on the single door 55. The latch 11 is pivotally mounted on this door 5?). All other parts are similar to those shown in the preferred form of my invention. The operation of the latch on this form of elevator is similar to the two-door elevator when the door bearing the lug 10a. has been closed first.

t will be noted that my improved locking means operates automatically so that the operator need not give his attention to the same when closing the swinging members 5 and 50.. It will furthermore be noted that these members 5 and 5a are swung about offset axes and accordingly thereis a difference in the operation of the locking means depending upon which of the two swinging members is the first to close. My improved locking means has the advantage that the operation of the same is automatic no matter which of the swinging members 5 or 5a is the first to close.

While I have illustrated and described .two specific forms of locking means for use with a pair of swinging members, it will be understood that the invention is not restricted to the particular construction and arrangement shown, but may be variously embodied within the contemplation of the invention and under the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a casing elevator, a body member, closure means therefor, a locking means for the closure pivotally mounted thereon including a vertically movable locking element, and means for actuating the lock to locking position upon a movement of the closure to closed position, said actuating means including a spring for urging the actuating means toward the body, and a spring for moving the locking element substantially parallel with the body.

2. In a casing elevator, a body member, "a pair of hinged gates mounted on the body member, a lug on the respective gates adjacent the meeting edges thereof, a locking means for the gates pivotally and reciproca'bly mounted on one of the gates and cooperating with said lugs, and means for moving the locking means into'locking position upon a movement of said gates to closed position.

3. In a casing elevator, a body member, a closure for the body member, a locking means for the closure pivotally and reciprocably mounted on the closure, and means for effecting an inward movement of the locking means relatively to'the body radially of the longitudinal axis of the body and substantially parallel to the said axis.

EDGAR E. GREVE. 

